1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to kitchen exhaust systems, and more particularly to a system especially adaptable to wall or island installations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many and various types of devices have been proposed for kitchen exhaust functions. The shape and location of air inlets and outlets have been changed to accomplish various exhaust characteristics. However, there has been a continuing desire to provide improved exhaust units to remove odors and other air borne material from cooking units. A particular consideration is the introduction of minimal volumes of air from outside the building to minimize heating or cooling of the make-up air and to reduce power requirements and sizes of associated air handling components.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,087, issued on Apr. 29, 1980, I disclosed a removable flow director for a kitchen exhaust system. In that system, air is introduced to the area behind the cooking unit and exhausted through a hood including an inlet of the flow director toward the front of the unit. The flow director provided a high velocity adjacent the inlet to cause enhanced scavenger action for fumes and the like, and also provided low velocity adjacent the air filters to permit effective filtering of the exhaust air.
A variety of exhaust vents including filtering means are disclosed in the prior art. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,978,777 and 4,047,519, issued to Nett on Sept. 7, 1976 and Sept. 13, 1977, respectively, there are disclosed ventilating apparatus including an exhaust hood for mounting above a grill or the like. In the Nett apparatus, outside air is forced through a narrow, horizontal slot at the front of the apparatus and directed rearwardly and upwardly across the open space adjacent the area to be vented, through a grease filter and into an exhaust chamber. Similar devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,129,121, issued to Dorius on Dec. 12, 1978; 3,890,087, issued to Kaufman et al. on June 24, 1975; 3,800,689, issued to Brown on Apr. 2, 1974; 3,400,649, issued to Jensen on Sept. 10, 1968; 3,292,525, issued to Jensen on Dec. 20, 1966; and 3,260,189, issued to Jensen on July 12, 1966.
Other hoods and venting devices are also known in the art. A ventilating hood for food cooking devices, but including no filtering means, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,428, issued to Ahlrich on Nov. 19, 1968. A stove hood is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 415,003, issued to Hornor et al. on Feb. 6, 1894. Related hoods are discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,530,784, issued to Courchesne on Sept. 29, 1970 and 1,465,652, issued to Moore on Aug. 21, 1923. A simple fume hood is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,046, issued to Weese et al. on July 29, 1975. Another fume hood of the type adapted for use in chemical labs and having an auxiliary air supply is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,914, issued to Bayern on Nov. 5, 1968. The Bayern device includes horizontal slots at the top and bottom of the rear wall to receive the exhausted air, but does not provide for filtering of the air received through such slots.